Edward Stewart
Edward Stewart was a prolific American author, known for his impactful contributions to the mystery genre through a series of novels that captivated readers over nearly thirty years. Born in 1938, he was educated at the prestigious Exeter preparatory school and later attended Harvard University, initially focusing on music before transitioning to writing. His first notable work, "Orpheus on Top," published in 1966, offered a comedic glimpse into the life of a musically gifted college graduate. Stewart gained widespread recognition in the early 1990s with his trilogy of murder mysteries featuring the sharp-witted New York City detective, Vince Cardozo. His novels are distinguished by their psychological depth, moral complexity, and meticulous research into police procedures, often addressing pressing societal issues such as political terrorism and the struggles within marginalized communities.
Despite achieving commercial success, Stewart maintained a low profile, possibly influenced by his desire to keep his personal life private, particularly regarding his homosexuality. He passed away on October 12, 1997, leaving behind a legacy of thrillers that explore the intricacies of human motivation and morality. His work is noted for its vivid characterization and the ability to weave suspenseful narratives with challenging ethical dilemmas.
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Edward Stewart
Author
- Born: 1938
- Died: October 12, 1997
Biography
Edward Stewart wrote a dozen novels that generated enviable sales across nearly thirty years, including a highly successful trilogy of mysteries in the early 1990’s featuring the hard- nosed, wise-crackingNew York City detective Vince Cardozo. However, the author long resisted the persuasive call of celebrity typical of contemporary best-selling writers. Very little is known about his life, perhaps due to his sensitivity over his homosexuality and his desire to keep his private life private. Even the biographical blurbs on his numerous best sellers indicated only that he lived in the Manhattan area and that he attended Harvard University. He was born in 1938 and attended the exclusive prep school at Exeter before going to Harvard. He studied music initially, including graduate work in piano and composition under the tutelage of the legendary Nadia Boulanger in Paris.
Stewart ultimately was drawn to the novel. In 1966, he published a typical first book, the largely autobiographical Orpheus on Top, a coming-of-age novel that told of the comic misadventures of a musically gifted college graduate in the months after he departs the protective ivory-towered environment. Next, he published two forgettable novels whose publication and subsequent drop into obscurity dampened Stewart’s enthusiasm for writing. However, in 1973, inspired by the rise of political terrorism that had rocked Europe, Stewart completed in quick order a thriller with an unapologetically garish title, They’ve Shot the President’s Daughter. It sold surprisingly well.
In the compelling murder mysteries featuring Detective Vince Cardozo, beginning with Privileged Lives, itself loosely based on the Claus von Bulow murder trial, Stewart found his range, bringing psychological depth and a sense of moral ambiguity to the murder-mystery format. Mortal Grace, for instance, involves Cardozo in the grisly serial killings of New York’s homeless. Cardozo is led into the shadowy underworld of that city’s entrenched Catholic hierarchy and finds evidence of its drug trafficking, sexual depravity, and financial improprieties. In what emerges as Stewart’s signature interest, Cardozo butts up against his own superiors interested in discouraging investigations that might lead to untidy truths.
With his detective’s gift for dogged investigation and savvy insight (anchored in Stewart’s meticulous research into police procedure), Stewart found a wide audience for his thrillers, hailed for their suspense, their vivid characters, their rich layers of moral quandaries, and their satisfying endings. At the time of his death, October 12, 1997, from complications of liver failure, Stewart was completing Jury Double, his most baroque—and least successful—thriller involving the bombing trial of a fanatic cult leader and a twin who sits on the jury and who swaps places with her twin as a way to cover her own criminal activity.
Despite that novel’s largely tepid reception, Stewart produced a signature body of thrillers that used vivid and compelling characters to examine the perplexing riddle of human motivation and that scrutinized the layered morality surrounding difficult and controversial contemporary issues with the daring and courage of a latter-day Conrad.